INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Downtown Indianapolis is seeing its skyline transformed as construction advances on the Signia by Hilton, soon to be the tallest hotel in the city.

The 38-story tower, which will rise 441 feet, is set to open in late 2026 across from the Indiana Convention Center. Developers and city officials say the project is critical to Indianapolis’ continued growth as a convention and tourism hub.

Media tours of the site this week revealed that 36 of the 38 floors are now complete, with the structure expected to reach full height in September. The construction team is working on enclosing the building before winter.

Bill Sewall, vice president of Hunt Construction Group Inc., explained the next steps:

“A couple of things coming up, get the building as much enclosed as possible before bad weather sets in this winter to minimize any delays due to the weather. Then, beginning in the spring, we start to turn over guest rooms for furniture installation, which will happen concurrently with us finishing the other half of the building.”

When finished, the hotel will offer 800 guest rooms, multiple restaurants, a rooftop bar, and a 50,000-square-foot ballroom—the largest in Indiana, surpassing the JW Marriott’s 40,500-square-foot ballroom by 20%.

The project is expected to be a game-changer for Indianapolis’ convention industry. With a direct enclosed walkway to the convention center, the new hotel will allow the city to host larger and more complex events that were previously out of reach.

Chris Gahl, executive vice president of Visit Indy, emphasized its importance to the local economy:

“There are 83,000 men and women who currently depend on tourism for a paycheck, and when this project is done, thousands more jobs will be added because this project will attract even more visitors to our city.”

He added that Indianapolis has had to pass on convention bids in the past due to space limitations.

“Many of our large annual conventions were outgrowing Indianapolis. We had to pass on bidding for a lot of other conventions because we physically didn’t have the space, so this project is perfectly placed so that we can retain and grow business and layer business to make sure that our city welcomes even more visitors.”

The Signia by Hilton is being developed as part of a broader downtown revitalization strategy, with leaders hoping to secure Indianapolis’ reputation as a top-tier convention city while generating new economic opportunities for local workers.

Once complete, it will not only be a new landmark on the city’s skyline but also a cornerstone of Indianapolis’ hospitality sector, combining luxury accommodations with large-scale event capacity.

Originally reported by Reyna Revelle in Wish TV.